Coated armor system and process for making the same

Abstract

An armor system and method involves providing a core material and a stream of atomized coating material that comprises a liquid fraction and a solid fraction. An initial layer is deposited on the core material by positioning the core material in the stream of atomized coating material wherein the solid fraction of the stream of atomized coating material is less than the liquid fraction of the stream of atomized coating material on a weight basis. An outer layer is then deposited on the initial layer by positioning the core material in the stream of atomized coating material wherein the solid fraction of the stream of atomized coating material is greater than the liquid fraction of the stream of atomized coating material on a weight basis.

1. A method for producing an armor system, comprising:
 forming a core material comprising a front surface, a back surface, at least one side surface, and a thickness between the front surface and the back surface; 
 providing a stream of atomized coating material having a material composition and comprising a liquid fraction and a solid fraction; 
 depositing an initial layer of the coating material having the material composition on at least the front surface and the back surface of the core material by positioning the core material in the stream of atomized coating material wherein the solid fraction of the coating material in the stream of atomized coating material is less than the liquid fraction of the coating material in the stream of atomized coating material on a weight basis; 
 depositing another layer of the same coating material having the material composition on the initial layer of the coating material by positioning the core material in the stream of atomized coating material wherein the solid fraction of the coating material in the stream of atomized coating material is greater than the liquid fraction of the coating material in the stream of atomized coating material on a weight basis; 
 forming the initial layer and the another layer of the coating material to have a first combined thickness on the front surface of the core material; and 
 forming the initial layer and the another layer of the coating material to have a second combined thickness on the back surface of the core material at least about three times the first combined thickness of the initial layer and the another layer of the coating material on the front surface of the core material. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the stream of atomized coating material comprises providing a stream of atomized metal comprising a liquid metal fraction and a solid metal fraction. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein depositing the initial layer of the coating material comprises positioning the core material at a first location in the stream of atomized metal wherein the solid fraction of the metal in the stream of atomized metal is less than the liquid fraction of the metal in the stream of atomized metal on a weight basis; and wherein depositing another layer comprises positioning the core material at a second location in the stream of atomized metal wherein the solid fraction of the metal in the stream of atomized metal is greater than the liquid fraction of the metal in the stream of atomized metal on a weight basis. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the solid fraction of the metal in the stream of atomized metal at the second location is in a range of about 50% to about 90% on a weight basis. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the solid fraction of the metal in the stream of atomized metal at the second location is about 70% on a weight basis. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 , wherein depositing the initial layer of the coating material comprises depositing an initial metal layer having a thickness in a range of about 0.5 to about 3 mm. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 , wherein depositing another layer of the coating material comprises depositing another metal layer having a thickness in a range of about 1 to about 125 mm. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising providing a ceramic material in the stream of atomized metal and forming a stream of atomized metal with entrained ceramic material. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising heat treating the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material following depositing the another layer of the coating material. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein heat treating is selected from the group consisting of annealing and hardening. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising compressing the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material after depositing the another layer of the coating material to increase a density of at least one of the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising heat treating the initial layer of the coating material and another layer of the coating material following compressing. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein heat treating is selected from the group consisting of annealing and hardening. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising heating the core material before depositing the initial layer of the coating material. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein heating the core material comprises heating the core material to a temperature equal to or less than a liquidus temperature of the coating material. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising depositing the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material in an at least substantially oxygen-free atmosphere. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising depositing the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material in nitrogen. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising maintaining the at least substantially oxygen-free atmosphere at a pressure of about 100 kPa. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 2 , wherein depositing the initial layer of the coating material comprises cooling the stream of atomized metal and forming a stream of atomized metal wherein the solid metalfraction in the stream of atomized metal is less than the liquid metal fraction in the stream of atomized metal on a weight basis; and wherein depositing another layer of the coating material comprises additionally cooling the stream of atomized metal and forming a stream of atomized metal wherein the solid metal in the stream of atomized metal is greater than the liquid metalfraction in the stream of atomized metal on a weight basis. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising selecting the core material to comprise a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and titanium diboride. 
     
     
       21. A method for producing an armor system, comprising:
 forming a core material comprising a front surface, a back surface, at least one side surface, and a thickness between the front surface and the back surface; 
 depositing an initial layer of a coating material having a material composition over at least the front surface and the back surface of the core material by positioning the core material in an atomized stream of the coating material wherein a solid fraction of the coating material in the atomized stream is less than a liquid fraction of the coating material in the atomized stream on a weight basis; and 
 depositing another layer of the coating material having the material composition on the initial layer of the coating material by positioning the core material in the atomized stream of the coating material wherein the solid fraction of the coating material in the atomized stream is greater than the liquid fraction of the coating material in the atomized stream on a weight basis; 
 wherein depositing the another layer of the coating material comprises depositing the another layer of the coating material over the front surface of the core material so that a combined thickness of the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material on the front surface of the core material is greater than about 0.5 times the thickness of the core material, and depositing the another layer of the coating material over the back surface of the core material so that a combined thickness of the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material on the back surface of the core material is greater than about 1.5 times the thickness of the core material, the combined thickness of the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material on the back surface of the core material being at least about three times the combined thickness of the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material on the front surface of the core material. 
 
     
     
       22. An armor system made in accordance with a method, the method comprising:
 providing a stream of atomized coating material having a material composition comprising a liquid fraction and a solid fraction; 
 depositing an initial layer of the coating material having the material composition on a surface of a core material by positioning the core material in the stream of atomized coating material wherein the solid fraction of the coating material in the stream of atomized coating material is less than the liquid fraction of the coating material in the stream of atomized coating material on a weight basis; 
 depositing another layer of the same coating material on the initial layer of the coating material by positioning the core material in the stream of atomized coating material wherein the solid fraction of the coating material in the stream of atomized coating material is greater than the liquid fraction of the coating material in the stream of atomized coating material on a weight basis; 
 forming the initial layer and the another layer of the coating material to have a first combined thickness on the front surface of the core material; and 
 forming the initial layer and the another layer of the coating material to have a second combined thickness on the back surface of the core material at least about three times the first combined thickness of the initial layer and the another layer of the coating material on the front surface of the core material. 
 
     
     
       23. A method for producing an armor system, comprising:
 providing a stream of atomized coating material comprising a liquid fraction and a solid fraction; 
 depositing an initial coating layer on a surface of a core material by positioning the core material at a first location in the stream at which the solid fraction of coating material in the stream is less than the liquid fraction of coating material in the stream on a weight basis; 
 depositing another coating layer on the initial coating layer by positioning the core material at a second, different location in the stream at which the solid fraction of coating material in the stream is greater than the liquid fraction of coating material in the stream on a weight basis; 
 compressing the initial coating layer and the another coating layer after depositing the another coating layer to increase a density of at least one of the initial coating layer and the another coating layer; 
 forming the initial coating layer and the another coating layer to have a first combined thickness on the front surface of the core material; and 
 forming the initial coating layer and the another coating layer to have a second combined thickness on the back surface of the core material at least about three times the first combined thickness of the initial coating layer and the another coating layer on the front surface of the core material. 
 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 11 , wherein compressing is selected from the group consisting of compressing by uni-axial pressing, compressing by hot isostatic pressing, and compressing by cold isostatic pressing. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising depositing the another layer of the coating material over the front surface of the core material so that a combined thickness of the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material on the front surface of the core material is greater than about 0.5 times the thickness of the core material, and depositing the another layer of the coating material over the back surface of the core material so that a combined thickness of the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the core material on the back surface of the core material is greater than about 1.5 times the thickness of the core material. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25 , further comprising compressing the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material after depositing the another layer of the coating material to increase a density of at least one of the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material. 
     
     
       27. A method for producing an armor system, comprising:
 providing a stream of atomized coating material having a material composition and comprising a liquid fraction and a solid fraction; 
 depositing an initial layer of the coating material having the material composition on a surface of a core material by positioning the core material in the stream of atomized coating material wherein the solid fraction of the coating material in the stream of atomized coating material is less than the liquid fraction of the coating material in the stream of atomized coating material on a weight basis; 
 depositing another layer of the same coating material having the material composition on the initial layer of the coating material by positioning the core material in the stream of atomized coating material wherein the solid fraction of the coating material in the stream of atomized coating material is greater than the liquid fraction of the coating material in the stream of atomized coating material on a weight basis; and 
 compressing the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material after depositing the another layer of the coating material to increase a density of at least one of the initial layer of the coating material and the another layer of the coating material.